Matthew 25:36

Verse 36. Mt 25:35

(g) "naked" Jas 2:15,16 (h) "ye visited" Jas 1:27 (i) "in prison" 2Ti 1:16, Heb 13:2

Matthew 25:43

Luke 1:68

Verse 68. Blessed. (l) Mt 5:3.

Hath visited. The word here rendered visited means properly to look upon; then to look upon in order to know the state of anyone; then to visit for the purposed of aiding those who need aid, or alleviating misery. Comp. Mt 25:43. In this sense it is used here. God looked upon the world-- he saw it miserable-- he came to relieve it, and brought salvation.

And redeemed. That is, was about to redeem, or had given the pledge that he would redeem. This was spoken under the belief that the Messiah, the Redeemer, was about to appear, and would certainly accomplish his work. The literal translation of this passage is, "He hath made a ransom for his people." A ransom was the price paid to deliver a captive taken in war. A is a prisoner taken in war by B. B has a right to detain him as a prisoner by the laws of war, but C offers B a price if he will release A and suffer him to go at liberty. The price which he pays, and which must be satisfactory to B--that is, be a reason to B why he should release him--is called a price or ransom. Men are sinners. They are bound over to just punishment by the law. The law is holy, and God, as a just governor, must see that the law is honoured and the wicked punished; but if anything can be done which will have the same good effect as the punishment of the sinner, or which will be an equivalent for it--that is, be of equal value to the universe--God may consistently release him. If he can show the same hatred of sin, and deter others from sinning, and secure the purity of the sinner, the sinner may be released. Whatever will accomplish this is called a ransom, because it is, in the eye of God, a sufficient reason, why the sinner should not be punished; it is an equivalent for his sufferings, and God is satisfied. The blood of Jesus -- that is, his death in the place of sinners--constitutes such a ransom. It is in their stead. It is for them. It is equivalent to their punishment. It is not itself a punishment, for that always supposes personal crime, but it is what God is pleased to accept in the place of the eternal sufferings of the sinner. The king of the Locrians made a law that an adulterer should be punished with the loss of his eyes. His son was the first offender, and the father decreed that his son should lose one eye, and he himself one also. This was the ransom. He showed his love, his regard for the honour of his law, and the determination that the guilty should not escape. So God gave his Son a ransom to show his love, his regard to justice, and his willingness to save men; and his Son, in his death, was a ransom. He is often so called in the New Testament, Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Tit 2:14; Heb 9:12. For a fuller view of the nature of a ransom, Rom 3:24,25.

(l) Ps 72:18

Luke 1:78

Verse 78. Whereby the dayspring, &c. The word dayspring (7) means the morning light, the aurora, the rising of the sun. It is called the dayspring from on high because the light of the gospel shines forth from heaven. God is its author, and through his mercy it shines on men. There is here, doubtless, a reference to Isa 40:1,2; indeed, almost the very words of that place are quoted. Comp. also Rev 22:16.

(6) "tender mercy" or "bowels of the mercy" (7) "dayspring" or "sunrising" or "branch" Isa 11:1, Zech 3:8, 6:12

Luke 7:16

Verse 16. Came a fear on all. An awe or solemnity at the presence of one who had power to raise the dead, and at the miracle which had been performed.

Glorified God. Praised or honoured God that he had sent such a prophet.

And, That God hath visited his people. Some said one thing and some another, but all expressing their belief that God had showed peculiar favour to the people.

Hath visited. Lk 1:68. The raising of this young man was one of the most decisive and instructive of our Lord's miracles. There was no doubt that he was dead. There could be no delusion, and no agreement to impose on the people. He came near to the city with no reference to this young man; he met the funeral procession, as it were, by accident, and by a word he restored him to life. All those who had the best opportunity of judging-the mother, the friends-- believed him to be dead, and were about to bury him. The evidence that he came to life was decisive. He sat up, he spake, and all were impressed with the full assurance that God had raised him to life. Many witnesses were present, and none doubted that Jesus by a word had restored him to his weeping mother.

The whole scene was affecting. Here was a widowed mother who was following her only son, her stay and hope, to the grave. He was borne along--one in the prime of life and the only comfort of his parent--impressive proof that the young, the useful, the vigorous, and the lovely may die. Jesus met them, apparently a stranger. He approached the procession as if he had something important to say; he touched the bier, and the procession stood still. He was full of compassion for the weeping parent, and by a word restored the youth, stretched upon the bier, to life. He sat up, and spake. Jesus therefore had power over the dead. He also has power to raise sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, to life. He can speak the word, and, though in their death of sin they are borne along toward ruin, he can open their eyes, and raise them up, and restore them revived to real life or to their friends. Often he raises up children in this manner, and gives them, converted to God, to their friends, imparting as real joy as he gave to the widow of Nain by raising her son from the dead. And every child should remember, if he has pious parents, that there is no way in which he can give so much joy to them as embracing Him who is the resurrection and the life, and resolving to live to his glory.

(h) "great prophet" Lk 24:19 (i) "God hath visited" Lk 1:68

Luke 19:44

Verse 44.

(d) "shall lay thee even" 1Kgs 9:7,8, Mi 3:12, Mt 23:37,38, Lk 13:34,35 (e) "they shall not leave" Mt 24:2, Mk 13:2 (f) "thou knowest not the time" Lam 1:8, 1Pet 2:12
Copyright information for Barnes